Kaine and Kos “stew” together

The Virginia gubernatorial race is in its last stages. Democratic Lt. Gov. Tim Kaine (assisted by a Republican break-away candidate) is in a statistical dead heat with Repubican Jerry Kilgore. The key to victory for Kaine is persuading Virginia voters that he’s a moderate like popular incumbent Mark Warner. Despite his opposition to the death penalty and his strained efforts to paint himself as “pro-gun,” Kaine’s done a fairly good job of this.

Unfortunately for him, though, he has advertised for about a month on a left-wing blog run by a Steve Gilliard. Gilliard thought it would be cute to depict Michael Steele, the African-American Lt. Gov. of Maryland, as a minstrel. When Andrew Sullivan (a “racist” according to Gilliard) blew the whistle, the Kaine campaign pulled the ad. Gilliard is now calling Kaine a “coward.” So is the “stewing” Daily Kos.

Increasingly, left-wing blogs will be a source of embarrassment to Democrats who actually have to seek public approval. Bless them.